Paul Gazda, Mixed Media

Paul Gazda

Mixed Media

Biography:

Paul Gazda’s art career began with photography. After 5 years as a photographic artist, he sensed that his creative ideas could not be fully expressed through that medium. Over the years, his methods evolved from photography, to photo-collage, to a fusion of photo-collage and painting, and finally to mixed media assemblage. In 1997, he began using wire mesh in place of traditional canvas. The mesh functions as an armature for painting and assemblage, becoming an active component of the art rather than a passive invisible surface for painting. The sturdy wire allows assemblage to be extended from sculpture to painting, while the use of transparent acrylic gel as a ground allows painting on both sides of the transparent “canvas.”

Gazda explores the interaction of concepts, ethics, language and symbols in a visually rich and unusual context. His bold and adventurous use of materials continues to evolve, opening new doors to creative expression.

Gazda’s work has been widely exhibited across the United States and Canada, including a solo exhibition at the West Valley Museum near Phoenix, Arizona. His art has been published in numerous books and magazines, and can be found in collections in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Statement:
I approach art in the spirit of a modern day alchemist, fusing creativity, intellect and emotion into new perceptions. My unconventional compositions and aesthetic choices grow from my love of artistic adventure and a desire to awaken our senses from the trance of the familiar.

In my art, I explore the interaction of concepts, ethics, language and symbols. I take a bold and adventurous approach with my materials, using acrylic mediums in non-traditional ways, and adding photographs and household objects into the visual mix.

In place of traditional canvas, I use wire mesh (hardware cloth). The grid of the mesh functions as an armature for painting and assemblage, becoming an active component of the art rather than a passive invisible surface for painting. The industrial, mass-produced mesh creates a tension with the traditional aesthetic role of fine art. The grid references the communication among the visual and conceptual components of the artwork. The sturdy wire allows assemblage to be extended from sculpture to painting, while the use of transparent acrylic gel as a ground allows painting on both sides of the transparent “canvas”.

The mesh, however, is not an end in itself, but rather a means of presenting visually rich and thought-provoking concepts. I hope you are moved by these works. I hope they spark the ferment of new feelings and ideas. It is their main purpose in life.

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